NATO chief says Russia poses danger to Arctic
Stoltenberg in Canada for Trudeau talks
OTTAWA • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and NATO’S Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned Friday that an increasingly hostile Russia poses dangers to the Arctic, as much as it does to eastern Europe.
Stoltenberg is in Canada for meetings with Trudeau and went to Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, and Cold Lake, Alta., touring military installations that are part of Canada’s northern defences.
Stoltenberg said Russia is expanding its presence in the Arctic and that has to be a concern for Canada and for all NATO countries.
“Russia has set up a new Arctic command. It has opened hundreds of new and former Soviet-era Arctic military sites, including airfields and deepwater ports. Russia is also using the region as a test bed for many of its new and novel weapon systems,” he said.
Those weapon systems include new hypersonic missiles, which it is feared could evade NORAD defences. Stoltenberg said Canada’s investments in improving those defences are not only important for NORAD, but for the whole alliance.
“What happens here matters not only for Canada, it matters for the whole alliance, and therefore we strongly welcome what Canada has done in this part of the alliance for decades with NORAD, with the radar sites, with defence capabilities.”
Stoltenberg also pointed out that with Finland and Sweden both set to join NATO, seven of the eight Arctic nations would be NATO members, leaving out only Russia. In addition to Russia, he said China was showing interest in the Arctic and NATO had to be prepared.
In June the Canadian government announced it would spend nearly $40 billion over the next two decades improving NORAD. Even with that spending and the announcement Canada would be purchasing 88 of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter jets, Canada is still below the two per cent of GDP target that NATO set.
Trudeau said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was a wake-up call and Canada will be continuing to invest more money in defence.
“After decades of unprecedented peace, Russia’s decision to invade Ukraine is requiring us all to step up even more on defence spending,” he said. “We will continue to deepen and grow our investments, whether it’s the significant investments in modernizing our NORAD capabilities, whether it’s the defence review ongoing this fall, we will continue to make greater and greater investments.”
Trudeau said defence spending has been growing consistently under his government. He said it had actually dropped to its lowest level under the former Conservative government.
In addition to providing weapons directly to Ukraine, Canada has added troops in a mission in Latvia, increased the alert level of thousands of troops in Canada and offered other up transport planes to deliver equipment.
Stoltenberg said he was pleased with Canada’s new investments, as well as its participation in more training exercises with NATO partners.
“There are many areas where actually Canada now is stepping up which is important for the whole alliance. Modernizing NORAD is of great importance, it is a huge effort.”
Trudeau said in addition to the challenges poised by Russia, Canada had to be concerned about the challenges of climate change.
“It is clear to researchers, military experts and both the Secretary General and I that climate change is a risk multiplier,” he said. “Not only are wildfires and floods increasing aid demands on the CAF, but globally, climate change is raising the risk of conflict. We need to take action to address its impacts on national and international security.”
Stoltenberg agreed with Trudeau on the climate risk and said Canada would have much to share with the alliance on this front.
The Biden administration said Friday it will appoint an ambassador-at-large for the Arctic to deal with national security, environmental and development issues in the far North. The U.S. has had an Arctic coordinator for many years, but the upgraded position may bring new energy to the job.
The announcement did not nominate a person to take the post.
Cambridge Bay is one of the main stops for vessels traversing the Arctic Ocean’s Northwest Passage between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The United States has challenged Canada’s sovereignty over the passage for decades, saying it is an international waterway.
Asked about the sovereignty issue on Friday, Trudeau said: “The Northwest Passage is Canadian waters. Period.”